This invention relates generally to air cleaners for internal combustion engines and more particularly to an air cleaner housing for directing air flow from an air filter into a fuel/air mixing chamber of the engine.
Internal combustion engines employ air filters to remove unwanted particulates from the combustion air stream before it enters the engine. Typically, a cylindrical air filter is mounted in an air cleaner housing. Air is drawn radially inwardly through the air filter. The air stream has a tendency to churn turbulently as it approaches the center of the filter housing before it is drawn downwardly into the carburetor beneath the air cleaner. Various attempts have been made to improve the efficiency of the air cleaner by smoothing out the air flow to avoid turbulence and thereby minimize pressure drop of the air stream as it flows through the air cleaner, but without much success.
The air cleaner of the present invention employs a housing which is specially designed to improve the efficiency of the fuel/air mixture in the carburetor by smoothing out the flow of air into a laminar flow path to avoid turbulence and reduce pressure drop before the air enters the carburetor.
Accordingly another aspect of the invention is to provide an air cleaner housing designed to smooth out the air flow path and reduce pressure drop after the air leaves the filter and before it moves into the combustion chamber.
Yet another aspect of the invention is to provide an air cleaner housing designed to smooth out the air flow path and thereby equalize the temperature of all spark plugs in an internal combustion engine.
Yet one more aspect of the invention is to provide an air cleaner housing designed to eliminate turbulence in the carburetor thereby improving the stability of the air/fuel ratio and charge distribution to each cylinder of the engine.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered with the accompanying drawing.